Michael Bourn pleased to be a Brave

The terrain is flatter in Michael Bourn’s home field away from home. There is no hill to navigate, no flagpole to dodge, roaming center field for the Atlanta Braves.

Except, of course, when the Braves are at Minute Maid Park playing the Astros.

Bourn reacquainted himself with the vast expanse of center field at Minute Maid — in all of its Tal’s Hill infamy — on Monday night. For Bourn, an 8-3 defeat was his first game in Minute Maid since the Astros traded him to the Braves last July 31. Houston is his hometown, and he won two Gold Gloves and made an All-Star team patrolling a center field that runs 436 feet deep.

“It’s way shorter in Atlanta than it is here,” Bourn said, mindful that center field in Atlanta’s Turner Field stops at 35 feet earlier than it does at Minute Maid. “That’s a lot of room to cover. Those days are over for me. I like being at Turner Field in center.”

Comfortable in Atlanta

Bourn, 29, hasn’t found much not to like about being a member of the Braves. The Astros were 35-72 when they sent Bourn to the Braves for center fielder Jordan Schafer and minor leaguers Paul Clemens, Brett Oberholtzer and Juan Abreu. The Braves were in a race to the playoffs, and they viewed Bourn as the sort of player who could give them a boost defensively and as a leadoff hitter.

At the start of last September, the Braves were 80-55 and had an 8½-game lead on the St. Louis Cardinals in the wild-card race. A 13-inning defeat to the Philiadelphia Phillies in the regular-season finale ended a 9-18 skid that put the Cardinals in the playoffs and left the Braves as the odd team out. Bourn batted .271 in September, scoring 15 runs and stealing 14 of 16 bases. He said he spent about four or five days wallowing in what might have been.

“I wasn’t there the whole time, so I couldn’t feel the whole feeling they felt because they were playing (together) from day one,” Bourn said. “But I still had that feeling.

“One thing about it: Once we came to spring training, it seemed like everybody was over it. Everybody on this team, they stick together. They don’t separate. Even when we were in New York and we weren’t winning (in the first series of 2012), nobody was separating or talking behind each other. We just took the loss like a man and moved on.”

Bourn came to the Astros in the trade that sent Brad Lidge to the Phillies after the 2007 season. Given a chance to play every day, Bourn blossomed into a two-way threat who had a .303/.363/.343 batting line with 39 stolen bases in 105 games at the time of his trade to Atlanta. Bourn cooled off to .278/.321/.352 with the Braves, stealing 22 bases in 53 games. The Braves are 0-4, with Bourn going 2-for-15 (.133) at the plate.

Bourn said there’s a different pressure that comes with playing for the Braves, who have set a bar of being perennial contenders. He describes himself as “ecstatic” over being, as he put it, “being thrown right into the fire” of a playoff race last year. In his eyes, the Astros “really did me some justice” by hooking him up with a winner.

“I told everybody, `Thank you for everything you did for me,’ ” Bourn said. “The Astros gave me the opportunity to play. They were good to me. I have nothing bad to say about them.

“I’m just glad I get to start from the beginning with (this season) instead of starting in the middle. I like our makeup and I like how we play together.”

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Photo: Karen Warren / Houston Chronicle

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April 10: Braves 6, Astros 3

Astros starter Wandy Rodriguez was roughed up for four runs (three earned) on six hits in five innings.

April 10: Braves 6, Astros 3

Astros starter Wandy Rodriguez was roughed up for four runs (three earned) on six hits in five innings.

Photo: Karen Warren / Houston Chronicle

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Astros shortstop Marwin Gonzalez (9) chats with third base coach Dave Clark (35) after being stopped at third during the seventh inning.

Astros shortstop Marwin Gonzalez (9) chats with third base coach Dave Clark (35) after being stopped at third during the seventh inning.

Photo: Karen Warren / Houston Chronicle

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Atlanta's Chipper Jones strikes out during the seventh inning.

Atlanta's Chipper Jones strikes out during the seventh inning.

Photo: Karen Warren / Houston Chronicle

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Braves shortstop Jack Wilson dives for a ball hit for a single by Chris Johnson.

Braves shortstop Jack Wilson dives for a ball hit for a single by Chris Johnson.

Photo: Karen Warren / Houston Chronicle

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Astros third baseman Chris Johnson catches a popped up ball hit by Atlanta's David Ross during the sixth inning.

Astros third baseman Chris Johnson catches a popped up ball hit by Atlanta's David Ross during the sixth inning.

Photo: Karen Warren / Houston Chronicle

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Astros third baseman Chris Johnson (23) acts like he's about to lick the snow cone ball popped up by Atlanta's David Ross during the sixth inning.

Astros third baseman Chris Johnson (23) acts like he's about to lick the snow cone ball popped up by Atlanta's David Ross during the sixth inning.

Photo: Karen Warren / Houston Chronicle

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Astros second baseman Jose Altuve (27) grimaces after getting picked off of second base during the fifth inning.

Astros second baseman Jose Altuve (27) grimaces after getting picked off of second base during the fifth inning.

Photo: Karen Warren / Houston Chronicle

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Astros starting pitcher Wandy Rodriguez walks back to the dugout after giving up three runs in the fourth inning.

Astros starting pitcher Wandy Rodriguez walks back to the dugout after giving up three runs in the fourth inning.

Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve (27) bobbles a ball hit by Atlanta's Martin Prado (14) but was able to make the throw to first.

Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve (27) bobbles a ball hit by Atlanta's Martin Prado (14) but was able to make the throw to first.

Photo: Karen Warren / Houston Chronicle

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Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve (27) bobbles a ball hit by Atlanta's Martin Prado (14) but was able to make the throw to first to get the ground out on Prado in the 4th inning at Minute Maid Park on Tuesday, April 10, 2012, in Houston, during the 50th anniversary of the first game in Houston franchise history on April 10, 1962, the Houston Colt .45s defeated the Chicago Cubs, 11-2, at Colt Stadium. ( Karen Warren / Houston Chronicle ) less

Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve (27) bobbles a ball hit by Atlanta's Martin Prado (14) but was able to make the throw to first to get the ground out on Prado in the 4th inning at Minute Maid Park on ... more

Photo: Karen Warren / Houston Chronicle

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Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve (27) bobbles a ball hit by Atlanta's Martin Prado (14) but was able to make the throw to first to get the out.

Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve (27) bobbles a ball hit by Atlanta's Martin Prado (14) but was able to make the throw to first to get the out.

Photo: Karen Warren / Houston Chronicle

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April 9: Astros 8, Braves 3

Astros first baseman Carlos Lee welcomes former Astros center fielder back to Houston with a tag at first base.

April 9: Astros 8, Braves 3

Astros first baseman Carlos Lee welcomes former Astros center fielder back to Houston with a tag at first base.

Photo: James Nielsen / Houston Chronicle

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Retired Houston Astros second baseman Craig Biggio right, presents a cowboy hat to the Braves third baseman Chipper Jones for his contribution to the sport.

Retired Houston Astros second baseman Craig Biggio right, presents a cowboy hat to the Braves third baseman Chipper Jones for his contribution to the sport.

Photo: James Nielsen / Houston Chronicle

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Braves third baseman Chipper Jones is in Houston for one last series before retiring at the end of the season.

Braves third baseman Chipper Jones is in Houston for one last series before retiring at the end of the season.

Photo: James Nielsen / Houston Chronicle

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Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Brandon Beachy throws a pitch against the Houston Astros during the first inning at Minute Maid Park.

Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Brandon Beachy throws a pitch against the Houston Astros during the first inning at Minute Maid Park.

Photo: James Nielsen / Houston Chronicle

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Houston Astros starting pitcher J.A. Happ delivers a pitch against the Atlanta Braves during the first inning at Minute Maid Park.

Houston Astros starting pitcher J.A. Happ delivers a pitch against the Atlanta Braves during the first inning at Minute Maid Park.

Photo: James Nielsen / Houston Chronicle

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Braves center fielder Michael Bourn returns to Houston for the first time this season in an Atlanta uniform.

Braves center fielder Michael Bourn returns to Houston for the first time this season in an Atlanta uniform.